Introduction to MSI's 120Hz/5ms/3ms gaming panel

Every time when we start to use a laptop, the first image we see is mostly from the LCD screen. Being a gaming laptop, the gamers request for mid-high level panel and featuring FHD resolution with anti-glare surface. Some might consider the mechanical issue of the screen, sometimes asking for different covered material it’s been rounded. Anything more we should get noticed and be aware of before buying the machine? The following would be the main consideration and detailed information of it.

lMotion Blur and Response Time

Before talking about the color appearance, let's simply go through LCD’s working theory. It's always a well-known issue if people are discussing the motion blur on LCDs, especially while watching a fast moving sport event, racing competition or exciting first-person-shooting game. From frames to frames, if the liquid crystal can't change its orientation and transmission fast enough, the motion blur will happen. While the video rate is about 60 frames per second, one single dot is supposed to change its ligt transmission within 16.7 ms (1 sec = 1000 millisecond). If the whole process spend longer time, the image will show certain shadow beside the shape of the object, even the lag situation might happen.

Response time currently has been used to measure the motion blur, formally as a industry standard. But somehow it's not precisely right about it since it evaluates the time of a single dot from pure black to extreme white, which can't fully indicate where the motion blur happened from real pictures. But most visual image transitions involve much smaller and more subtle shades of gray to gray changes, which can take considerably longer to finished. That means, visual detection is getting harder and harder when there are tiny gray to gray transitions because the beginning image is so similar to ending one.

IMSI's extreme gaming panel with 120Hz and 5/3ms response time

Since last year MSI had adopted 120Hz panel with 5ms response time. It's the first time to bring such high-spec panel into the gaming products. Higher refresh rate and lower response time could bring less motion blur and increase the detailed pictures while fast moving images delivered. No matter the users are having fun with fast racing gaming titles or enjoying the exciting movie playback, it would be a totally new experience for them because of the vivid appearance and sharp quality.

Furthermore, there is always more surprise while it comes to higher level of the product. Besides 120Hz/3ms of its specification, it also comes with 94% NTSC color gamut. The common explanation of the color gamut, which is related to computer graphics or photography, is a certain complete subset of colors. LCD panel is the output device to present the complete subset of colors, more color space it covered will show more vivid appearance. For example a image of a green forest, there would be less difference between the tree top, leaves and deep of the tree trunk while the color gamut is less than 50% NTSC. But we can easily see the color difference when adopting the high quality LCD, for example the 94% NTSC color gamut. The difference brings huge gap to visual acceptance and cause visual experience with several level. Users who experience the higher color gamut LCD panel will always choose to stay on it rather than the lower one since the eyes won't tell you to choose the worse one.

The technology of movie production has involved a lot in different ways. It includes the color calibration and so called the HDR is now another important point to show how splendid the movie images are. Since the HDR video experience is getting more and more popular, let’s see what’s the difference between MSI’s 120Hz/94%NTSC panel and other brand’s IPS panel by viewing the famous Hollywood titles.

Around the sunrise beaming part, MSI's 120Hz/94% NTSC panel shows the sun and the halo around it, even the reflection on the sea surface. But we can't find more detailed image in the same area on other IPS panel. Not to mention the color of the sky and the waves, higher color gamut presents more truth to viewer’s eyes.

After checking the bright part, let's see how it performs on the darker area. The image is taken from the same video and shows the difference between 120Hz/94% NTSC and IPS panel. When certain colors can't be expressed within particular color model, those colors are said to be out of color gamut. The 94% NTSC apparently shows more detailed image of the same source and deliver more information to receivers, which the Hollywood movie makers wish to introduce to the market.

Among MSI gaming laptops, the GT75/GT73/GT72 series, GS73 series, GE73/GE72 series. and GP72/GL72 series, can support 120Hz/5ms gaming panel. It's optional specification and don't forget to check the detailed information before buying it. For the GS63/GE63 series, they can support 120Hz/3ms gaming panel and optional choices too. Since the image quality is way too stunning after viewing its performance, you have to be careful before choosing it, once you’ve experience how awesome it is, definitely will never go back.